The Art of Astronomy
by Darkhymns
Summary: Haplo, Alfred, and Marit sit outside to watch the stars.


**A request fic written for hokuton-punch on tumblr! I missed these guys~**

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Marit wasn't good at this.

"I'm not used to staring at the sky unless it's to watch out for dragons." She sighed, leaning back into her chair. "Sorry if I can't be relaxed as you."

"Oh no, I do not mind at all." Alfred picked at his long sleeves, eyes still upturned to the vast sky above. "It's quite alright really."

Marit scoffed. "And I'm sorry I'm not as interesting as the sky either."

Alfred stuttered, finally turning to her. "I did not mean to offend-"

"Alfred." Haplo laughed slightly. "She's teasing you."

The Nexus was the closest to perfection the Sartan could ever hope to create. It followed the day and night cycle in equal precision, it delivered gentle summer showers when the plants called for it, and even the hottest of days weren't plagued by humidity. The nights were especially a comfort, bringing in cool breezes and an expanding vista for those who wished to see it.

"How many other people do you see stargazing from their balconies?" Marit asked, half-genuine about it. "At this hour?"

"Don't see the problem. We can talk more freely this way," Haplo answered helpfully, a few steps away from Alfred's own chair, one hand leaning against the back of it.

Alfred spoke a little guiltily, still looking upwards. "I suppose the hour _is_ quite late…"

"Sartan," Haplo called to him. Said Sartan blinked, and Haplo gestured to the table he was seated at. It was a study table to be precise, as Alfred apparently would be struck by a need to peruse through a text wherever he was, including a small balcony from his room. And, of course, this table already had a few books set out. "Will you be doing what you said?"

"Ah, yes. Thank you for reminding me!" Alfred took one leather-bound book in his hands, creaked it open to a certain page, and started penning away, eyes shifting to the sky and then back to his book.

Marit was seated next to him, tapping her fingers on the table surface. "And what, may I ask, is the use of constellations for?"

Alfred was only too happy to explain. "Oh, they are quite useful for navigation! Many of the mensch of the old world would utilize the stars to find their way, especially if their instruments could not be relied on. I believe sailors relied on them the most. Also, the stars were helpful for many agricultural practices – I believe how they would determine the best time to…"

Marit let the man ramble on, rolling her eyes, but not making a move to stop him. Haplo just smiled, leaning his head forward to peer over Alfred's shoulder at the book.

"So you're making new ones then?"

Alfred's pen strokes were fluid, detailing diagrams onto the paper, assessing the distance of stars from each other. "Just recording them. They resemble the skies back on Arianus… but the shift of dimensions, or the pockets of space we are in, displays them at a different angle here." He paused for a moment. "It must work the same way on the other worlds."

Haplo was actually a bit intrigued at the theory. "Could be. Not that it was possible for me to observe. Pryan's 'stars' were only the citadels on the other side of their world, Abarrach was underground, and Chelestra was submerged in water." He shrugged. "The only place with visible skies was the Labyrinth."

"Visible," Marit confirmed, then emphasized, "but not reliable."

Alfred stopped his writing for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"You've seen it first-hand. Navigating by the stars might have been very useful for us…if the prison didn't twist the sky so, making it impossible to tell north from south."

Alfred looked down, remembering, perhaps even seeing what Marit meant. Not just through his eyes, Haplo guessed, but through another's.

"So you're naming any?"

That startled Alfred out of his brief melancholy. "Well, I am mostly using Arianus' names… though I have discovered several new ones! Like that pattern there –" He pointed to the northwestern part of the sky. "It's such a peculiar arrangement. They're so very close together that I wonder if it is possible, considering the pull of power that emit from these stars."

"Alright, Coren" Haplo agreed, patiently. "I was talking about the names though."

"O-oh." Alfred laughed slightly. "I have never been very good at names or titles of any sort. Maybe you could?"

"I didn't name my dog. You think I would do any better with constellations?"

As soon as he finished his sentence, they both turned to Marit.

Having placed her chin in her hand, watching them both, she blinked at their sudden attention. "What is it?"

"You named Haplo's journals, didn't you?"

"I… I suppose I did. Not like they were that creative."

Haplo shrugged. "More than mine."

"'Dragon Wing' was a very perceptive title, I think!" Alfred complimented. "You presented a unifying theme that applied to everyone in the space of just two words."

"Well, shouldn't titles do so anyway? That isn't a talent." She sighed, long-suffering, but the moonlight betrayed her smile. "I _suppose_ I could help though _._ Give it here." She took Alfred's book. "But only if we can go back to bed afterwards."

They all agreed to the conditions, prompting Marit to look through the designated page, fingers tracing out the newly inked patterns. "Hmm, it's like a wingspan…"

"I thought so too!" Alfred beamed. "I was actually thinking something along the lines of 'aviary,' or perhaps mention about these nightbirds back on Arianus, whose feathers emitted a peculiar light that the mensch compared to the stars. 'The Star-Finch Takes to Flight Among the Traveler's Road' maybe."

"That's…pretty florid," Marit interrupted, but gently. Patiently even. "But the idea of it sounds rather nice. We can limit the best sounding of that sentence perhaps."

Haplo was pretty content with just watching the two converse. Although he had to admit – he would like to go to bed soon before the sun came up. But he supposed another hour wouldn't hurt, especially as the Sartan had been so insistent…


End file.
